Kingdom Hearts Xero
by XeroXIII
Summary: Sora's Journey, unfortunately, did not end with Kingdom Hearts II. What happens when Sora meets Roxas again? What happens when a whole new entity appears? I guess you can only read to find out.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

"_So…"_ A voice said gently. "Sora! Wake up lazy bum!" The girl shouted in a stern voice.

"What! K-Kairi!" The Brown haired boy had woken up.

"Sora, what are you doing slacking off again?" asked his girlfriend. Sora and Kairi had been through so much together. After finally coming home to stay, they fell in love.

"S-sorry Kairi! I was having another dream about him. The other me…Roxas, and the one who looks like you...Namine." Sora has been having dreams about his and Kairi's Nobodies for months already. It's been six months since Sora returned for his long and tiresome journey.

"Sounds like you're planning on leaving again…" Kairi sighed.

"N-no! Nothing like-" _BOOM! _Ahuge explosion could be seen coming from the beach. Sora summoned his keyblade, the Kingdom key. Kairi tried to summon her Keyblade.

"Sorry Sora…It's no good. I still can't summon it. But I can still tag along!" Kairi said cheerfully.

"But Kairi!"

"No buts' Sora! I'm not going to sit back and watch you leave again!" Kairi folded her arms.

"Just be careful…Okay?" Sora asked in a worried voice.

"I will."

As they raced toward their secret place, a huge light could be seen pouring out of the entrance. "So much for our Secret place being secret…" Sora stated.

He looked up to see a man holding a keyblade that Sora had never seen before. He wore an Organization cloak…and the moment Sora started to gather his thoughts…the man stabbed Kairi in the chest. "KAIRI!" Sora shouted. He quickly summoned his keyblade, but he was stabbed himself. Their hearts came out of their chests…and separated into two. And standing next to them…were there nobodies. Sora looked at Roxas and Kairi at Namine. They both smiled, and then turned to the man. "Who are you?" Roxas asked him.

"I am known as Fifteen. And I need you to help me…Along with him." He pointed to the boy laying on the floor… As they turned him over…His face was revealed…He looked a lot like Roxas…As the boy awoke…they asked him his name…and they were shocked at the reply.


	2. Chapter I: Xero

Chapter 1: Xero

As the blonde haired boy woke, alarm clock blazing, the regular Radiant Garden chimes jingled. He opened his bright blue eyes, the same eyes of Roxas and Sora. He sighed, annoyed that there was no action for him. Roxas and Sora, whom he started calling his brothers, keep telling him he is not ready to take on missions, not even Intel missions. "Hey, Xero!" Said the familiar voice of his friend and mentor. "Shut up Axel…" Xero said, groggily getting out of his uncomfortable bed.

The red head sighed. He had been reborn a few months ago…The same man…the man known as Fifteen had found him, drifting in the realm of Darkness. He had, somehow, brought him back from his non existence. But Axel knew how high the Consequence must have been…After all, he was not the only Nobody brought back from beyond the grave… "Come on, you know you're not the only one who has to get up. Besides, today is a special day isn't it?"

"What day is that?" Asked the blonde haired boy. Xero wore the same clothes as everyone else…the same Organization Coat. His face however, was nearly identical to Roxas and Sora's. There were many differences, however. His hair was slightly straight in the front.

"It's exactly one year after you came into this world." Axel said, looking at the calendar. It was November 21st. He grinned. "And your 'brother' has a slight surprise for you today…As do I." The red head said, grinning all the while.

"What?" Xero asked, now excited.

"Well, Roxas will have to tell you his, but mine is a little bit of sparring." Axel said grinning, knowing the kid had great fighting spirit. He saw Xero's mouth drop a bit. He dragged the kid into the Training room, passing a sleeping Demyx. As they walked in, there were already people training.

"Take that!" Shouted the brown haired boy, swinging the key to other worlds…the Keyblade. He slashed at the white haired man in front of him. "Nice try Sora!" The man said, wearing the familiar coat. He wielded a weapon known as Way to Dawn. He slashed back at the boy. And as the boy jumped back, he yelled one of his spells. "Firaga!" The fire ball charged at Riku, where Riku countered with his favorite spell. "Dark Aura!" The black ball of energy hit the other fire ball, causing an explosion. Both boys were launched to separate sides of the room.

"I-I think we can call this one a draw." Riku said, one eye open. Sora laughed. "You're just scared to admit you were beaten!"

"Am not!" They both laughed. Axel walked towards them. "Hey! Now get out of the room. This is our time now!" He said, referring to himself and Xero. Sora walked up to Xero. He nodded at him. "Just remember what I taught you!" He said. Sora has matured within the year that they had been there. He handed him a box before leaving. "See ya." Riku said, following Sora out.

Axel smiled, walking to one side of the room. "Get ready Xero!" The fire ball appeared in his hand. A circle of fire surrounding it. And in a second, the Black and Red Chakram appeared in his hand, as did the other in his left hand. Xero, gasping a little, jumped back, summoning his keyblade: Oathkeeper. Axel threw his Chakram at Xero, while Xero was dodging the second one he had thrown a second earlier. As the second Chakram came close to hitting him, He planted his keyblade in the ground. The Chakram bounced upwards, and Xero caught it. He threw it back at Axel, who simply smiled and caught it again. "Come on! I'll make it all stop!" He shouted, rushing Xero. "Burn Baby!" He threw a Chakram over Xero's head. Xero blocked the second attack which came at his stomach. The Chakram that Axel threw came from behind him. He back flipped over it, stumbling on his way down. He fell to his knees.

"Is that all you got!" Axel asked, in a shout. He threw the Chakram, just missing Xero. Xero got off his knees, kicking Axel's Chakram out of the way. "Come on, show me what you got!" Xero shouted. He threw his keyblade, Axel managed to dodge, though it cut his hair slightly. A drop of sweat managed to drop down his forehead. And as the keyblade came back, Xero upward slashed at Axel. Axel managed to dodge. He jumped back. "Alright…" He said. "Time to get serious." A giant circle of fire surrounded them. The ground became molten.

Xero stepped back, the wall of fire burning his back. "Gah!" Xero knew he would have to push himself. He quickly grabbed his keyblade with both his hands. And as he pulled it apart, his second keyblade appeared in his hand…a keyblade that his brother has as well. Oblivion.

'_Déjà vu.' _Axel thought. And with that, the intense battle began again. The Chakram flew, countered with Oblivion. Xero kicked off of another airborne Chakram, and with that, slashing Axel into the ground. Axel grinned once again. And the fire cannon shot from his Chakrams. Xero flew into the ceiling, falling unconscious. And with that, the battle was over.

_To be continued._


	3. Chapter II: Present

Chapter 2: Present

Xero groggily got back up, finding himself on the cold hard floor of the training room. "Ow!" He said, looking at the singe marks on his gloves and coat. He looked around, trying to remember what happened. He remembered being shot with Axel's fire cannon…type thing. He managed to get up with the help of one of his keyblades. "I…let you win?" Xero said, hoping to trick his mentor.

Axel laughed, giving Xero a light punch to the top of his head. "Shut up! I've been at this much longer than you have, squirt!" Axel said, putting emphasis on the word _squirt_.

"Shut up Axel!" Xero shouted, now storming out of the room, not really knowing where he was going. He picked up the box that Sora had given him. Inside were three ice creams and a note:

_Meet us at the top of sunset station in twilight town….DON'T EAT THE ICE CREAM!_

_-Sora_

Xero scratched the back of his head. "Axel, I have to go. Don't wait up!" Xero said, opening a corridor of darkness. Before Axel could reply, Xero was gone. "Why does that kid always leave in a hurry?" Axel asked himself. He walked towards the door. Then…something no one would expect happened. "Hello again Axel." Said a voice.

Xero walked towards the edge of the building. It was supposed to be just the three of them, but someone else had decided to join in. She was clinging to Roxas' arm. "Oh, hi Namine." He said. He awkwardly sat down next to them. He handed everyone the ice creams…and he didn't get one. They watched as the sun slowly set, and Xero could tell who Sora was thinking about. Xero watched Roxas as he got a brain freeze, and Namine giggling. '_This is true serenity.'_ He thought. Roxas grinned. "Are you ready for your real present?" He asked.

Xero probably had a stupid expression on his face, because Sora was laughing up a storm. "_Real_ present?" Xero asked confused. Roxas handed him a folder, marked with the usual logo: A heart with two keyblades crossing it. When he opened it, he nearly fell off the building. "A genuine mission…" He said amazed.

_Mission type: Extermination_

_Location: Enchanted Dominion_

_Operatives: _

_Roxas_

_Axel_

_Xero_

_Brief: A mysterious creature has been spotted around the Enchanted Dominion. Eliminate by any means necessary._

Xero grinned. He jumped off the building…and then he realized that gravity applied to him. "Aaahhhhhh!" He miraculously fell on his feet. Then he shouted something very inappropriate. "Gah! I'm so happy! Ow! This feels great! I think I'm bleeding!" Namine muttered something to Roxas. Probably asking what was wrong with Xero. Xero limped back up to the top. "W-when?"

"First thing in the morning." Roxas answered. The rest of the afternoon went on like that. Namine was pouting about how she couldn't do anything except draw. Xero smiled at her, and for a second, she looked like someone else…not the pretty blonde in front of him…someone he never met. And for the rest of the day, He could only think about the black hair she had.

Xero had left early. It was his philosophy that if you couldn't wait for something that was supposed to happen the next day, go to sleep. He woke in the middle of the night. His pajamas felt hot. He looked at his pants. '_I must be on fire…fire…'_ Then he realized what had happened. He remained calm and said "FIRE! WHY THE HELL AM I ON FIRE!" He jumped out of bed and started casting blizzard on his legs. He looked up and saw Axel, grinning. "Sup." He said. Xero punched him in the stomach.

"What the hell was that for!" He shouted his hands glowing black and white…his unusual power was starting to act up. He quickly shoved his hands in his pockets. Axel shrugged. "It's midnight. Technically it is first thing in the morning…So you going to board the gummi ship or not?"

Xero's mouth dropped. This was first thing in the morning? He got up and kicked Axel out the door. He changed in a minute and walked out to meet them. Surprisingly, no one was asleep. Not even Demyx, who was strumming his Sitar. "So, kid I hear you got a mission!" He said. "What's next a guitar lesson?"

Xero felt awkward. He always felt that way after talking to Demyx. "Well, no but I think I figured out your real name, Emyd." Demyx took a step back. "Y-you know my name!" He sighed and pulled 100,000 munny out of his pocket. "My life's savings…" He went back to strumming his Sitar, this time playing the Blues.

"Xero! We've got to go!" Shouted Roxas. They were boarding the Black bird XIII, a small but fast Gummi ship. He slowly walked on to the loading bay, where he was literally moved at the sight. The ship seemed to pull him up, which it did. Xero couldn't help but smile. The mission was only a level X mission, but Xero wasn't ready for anything IX and above. In a moment, the ship was in space…And Xero's thoughts disappeared the moment he hit the floor of the cramped vehicle.

_To be continued…_


	4. Chapter III: Red Rain

Chapter 3: Red Rain

As the ship flew, dodging nobody blasts, Xero tried to take in his surroundings. The ship was heavily armored, inside and out. Inside, there were three areas with bright colored buttons, flashing in several different colors. The ship was painted black, and was armed with a dark cannon and a heat ray. Roxas fired the heat ray with precise accuracy, easily taking out a ship. Axel, on the other hand was playing cards with the two rats.

"Hey we're not rats!" Shouted the black nosed chipmunk. "Yeah, leave us alone! We're chipmunks!" Shouted the red nosed chipmunk. Dale had beaten Axel with two pairs. Chip beat dale with a full house. Xero sighed. He badly wanted to fly, though everyone was worried about him crashing the ship. He eyed the dark emptiness in front of him…the sounds of explosions ringing in his ears. "Xero, get on top." Xero looked at Axel, who was half paying attention. "There are these nobodies who cling to the ship. I think they're attacking…I fold." Xero nodded, climbing the ladder to the top of the ship.

Xero looked at his foes, eyes widening. "You could have told me they were huge!" Xero shouted. The creatures were on all fours. They were white, like all nobodies were. Their heads had the usual nobody symbols, but these had glowing red eyes. Their wings were spread, causing a shadow to appear over the ship. They had razor sharp claws that were easily tearing through the armor of the ship. Xero summoned his keyblades. He jumped into the air, slashing out at the creature. The keyblade deflected off the creature's armored head. The three nobodies flew into the air.

"You guys…I think I'm going to call you Goliaths!" He dashed into the air, bringing down Oblivion on the creature's head. The keyblade stuck itself in its head. He shot Firaga from his hand onto the keyblade. The keyblade shot straight through the creatures' head. The goliath faded. "One down, one to go!" The Goliath instantly swung its tail. It opened its mouth to reveal two rows of teeth, a shadowy sphere forming between them. "Oh come on!" Xero shouted. The sphere launched right at him. Xero couldn't dodge, getting blasted off the ship. Xero opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. _'Silenced.' _He thought.

Xero glided back to the ship, the Goliath Tore the armor of the ship once again. Xero jumped back into the air, only to get knocked away. Xero had one option, but it wouldn't do him any good. A Chakram flew at the creature's head. Axel had appeared out of nowhere. He twirled his red hot weapons. As they burst into flames, Axel threw them at the Goliath. The goliath was knocked off its feet, bursting into flames. The creature fell off the ship, a flaming ball of ash plummeting through the emptiness.

"You couldn't handle those things?" Asked an ever so skeptical Axel. He was unscarred from battle. Xero rolled his eyes. "I took out one of them…in one blow!" Axel grinned at him.

"Yes, but it was probably underestimating you. It probably expected the solar winds to kill you." His Chakrams disappeared in a burst of flames. Xero through his keyblade off the side of the ship, knowing it'd just disappear. Xero climbed down the ladder, returning to his seat, Axel following close behind. They were reaching their destination in four minutes. He looked to the top of the ship, where a goliath's claw print could be seen.

As they approached the world, Xero could already see the destruction. The forests were frozen, and the castle was set ablaze. The trio landed on the frozen grass of the once beautiful Kingdom. They stared as time seemed to reverse. The fire disappeared and the ice melted…the castle had returned to its original state. "Okay…I know Intel isn't my forte, but I'd say that all the evidence is either frozen or burned up…" Said Axel.

Xero looked as the castle shook. The inhabitants of this world were shaking in their shoes, and praying not to be frozen, burned, or crushed. That's when they saw it, something that has never appeared on this world before. A black heart shaped moon hung in the sky. Axel's eyes widened. "Kingdom Hearts!" He exclaimed. Roxas instinctively pointed his keyblade at the moon, only to find his keyblade shattered. "Gah! That's not kingdom hearts…I think…I think it broke my keyblade!" He held out his hand, bringing his keyblade, Oblivion, back to his hand. The keyblade had fractures in the blue gem imbedded in the hilt. "Okay, so that thing is probably bad, and I have a feeling that it's the reason the creature showed up."

That's when they heard the shriek. A sound so terrible, everyone, including the trio dropped to their knees. The sound came from the black heart moon. They looked up as heartless started appearing. Roxas cut one down with Oathkeeper, while Axel kept on throwing his Chakrams. Xero summoned his own Oathkeeper, and started running at the castle. With one leap, he jumped onto the castle walls. He slashed at a soldier heartless, and jumped over a flying bandit. "Come on!" He shouted.

"Right behind you." Axel said from behind him. He flung his Chakram at a shadow heartless, a samurai nobody right behind him. Roxas cut through his former servant, the samurai. Assassin nobodies and Berserker nobodies were chasing them. Xero burst through the castle doors, only to see Princess Cinderella's heart flying out of her chest. "No! Roxas!" He shouted. Roxas nodded, holding out his keyblade. A thin beam of light shot out of his keyblade, stopping the heart in midair. The heart descended back down into the princess's chest. She collapsed, but she had no injuries. Xero chased down the halls. That's when he caught his first glimpse of it. A black nobody. The usual nobody symbol was on its head, but a heartless symbol appeared on its chest. Xero saw it disappear into a corridor of Darkness. Xero jumped through it, and found himself joined by Axel.

"You're not going anywhere without me. I think I know where that thing is going." Said Axel. He ran towards the exit, Xero following close behind. They found themselves on a beach. There was a shack, some boats, and plenty of trees…Destiny Islands. The creature was flying in midair. It had scaly black armor, three rows of teeth, razor sharp claws, and wings covered in black fire. It opened its mouth to reveal a black ball of flame between its teeth. It fired right towards them, blinding their eyes, and missing by no more than a few feet. The ground was set ablaze, turning the sand to glass. Xero summoned his second keyblade, Oblivion. The enemy was shooting fire everywhere.

Axel threw his Chakram at the enemy, which the Nobody-Heartless hybrid deflected. It turned its attention to Tidus. Axel jumped in the way, absorbing the flame…but everything has its cost. The attack rebounded and hit Xero, knocking him clean off his feet. Xero jumped back, recovering in mid air. "Light!" He shouted, creating a white barrier around the beach. Everyone without a weapon that could touch a creature like this was pushed out of the barrier. Xero jumped up again, slashing at the creatures head. It felt like hitting steel. Xero was launched back. The creature grabbed Xero with his claw, and started charging up another blast of flame. That's when the Chakram flew at the creature. It turned its head to see the owner of the weapon.

Axel looked at the creature, and sighed. "See this?" He asked, pointing to his Chakram. "Well, guess what. This is going to be your demise…" He started to glow a flaming red…then he himself burst into flames. His Chakrams disappeared, and when he held out his arms, pillars of fire rained down on the creature…but Axel was hit with the same attack. He collapsed, but the fire was still there. It looked like red rain.

_To be continued..._


	5. Chapter IV: Silent Promise

CHAPTER 4: Silent Promise

Xero stood in awe as his mentor dropped to the ground, his own pillars of fire striking him in the back. The creature was engulfed in the flames, burning away the armor like shell that was attached to it. But as its armor melted back, the shell beneath, a shining white skin, blazed white hot flames. The creature had absorbed the attack.

A blade was revealed on the creatures left claw. It was a blade that literally turned the sand to glass. Xero thought of what he could do. His keyblades were hanging loosely in his hands now, and his coat was severely scorched. He had no choice but to run. He ran, only to get stopped in his tracks by the barricades of in between, a spell that was used by the organization to keep creatures like this out. _'But who could cast it?' _He thought. That was when he saw them; the six warriors known as Team VI.

The leader, was a mouse. He had big round ears, a red outfit, and a golden keyblade. It was the king of Disney Castle, King Mickey. Standing beside him was a boy with spiky black hair. Standing at about 5'9, Lexchaim held his pure black blade over his shoulder. His eyes, as per usual, were hidden by a visor. His Sleeveless turtle neck was tattered, the same as usual, and he wore black jeans. Sonjax was sitting down, his blonde hair covered in dirt. He had greenish eyes. He had obviously fallen during teleportation. He wore his usual red sweater and blue jeans; his oversized callick was as stiff as a stick. And then there was the girl, Alyssa. She had short blonde hair, green eyes, and a wicked chain scythe, her black cloak covering her body. Next to her was the muscular and powerful Redwon. He was wearing a thick black leather long coat. He had dark red hair, and a goatee to match. His Gravity Gauntlets were the size of Milk Cartons. He had a wide smirk on his face. Next to him was Rashreum. He had shoulder length hair, and a turret attached to his arm. He was wearing a Paladin's armor. It was freaking scary. His Jaguar, Spade, was standing next to him.

"Just _Wunderwaffe…_" Said Redwon. "Just f-"He was interrupted by Rashreum. "There's no need for 'at language mate." Rashreum said in his deep, Australian accent. "Yeah, you should say _flip,_ or _flap, _or something like that…" Said the ever skeptical Sonjax. Alyssa just sighed. She was twirling her Scythe around by the bladed ring at the end of the chain. Lexchaim simply stared at her. The King smiled. "Xero! Are you alright?" He asked, in the same squeaky voice he always had. Xero's face was pained. "A-axel! He's by that monster! I need your help!" He shouted, his voice cracking. His Majesty jumped off the cliff they were standing on. The other members followed their leader. Sonjax sat in the back of the group. "We have to take it out." Said the dark and brooding Lexchaim. His sword glimmered in the sunlight. His shadow whipped out from underneath him, wrapping itself around the hybrid Nobody.

Alyssa's eyes flashed. Her blade became as hard as crystal. "My Glacius is a chain scythe. It has the properties of ice and water. And with that, I say rain." At the command of the word, rain fell from the sky. "Blizzaga!" She shouted, the rain freezing as it came down. They were like little ice needles. The creature's white hot flames melted the frozen ice on impact. Redwon quickly ran across the glass, avoiding a blast of flame from the enemy. He pointed his finger at a boulder and, lifting his arm, chucked the boulder at his enemy. "Anti gravity gloves!" He lifted up another boulder, this time molding it into a stalagmite. The stalagmite was launched at the creature, breaking on impact. Rashreum jumped into mid-air. "Check this out for size now!" He floated in mid-air for a moment. "Tsk, load!" The barrel to the turret opened. "Reflega loaded, and ready to go." Rashreum was the only one who was skilled in defense magic, and could use it as an offensive technique.

"Rapid fire blaster!" The small, magical defensive pellets were fired at the creature. The problem was, while he used the attack, it drained him of all his strength. If he wanted to use rapid fire, it would kill all his energy, and then he'd have to recharge. "Alyssa!" The girl just nodded. Then she used Glacius' chain to wrap around the dragon's legs. "Freeze…" She said calmly. The glacier erupted from the chain, engulfing the creature, and extinguishing the flames. Mickey jumped into the air. "Pearl!" The white orb of energy flew out of his hand, knocking out the creature's eye. But the creature didn't let up. All the energy around him was absorbed into its mouth. And when it was fired, the blast was devastating. There was no sound. Everyone made it out of the way in time, but all the matter the blast touched was destroyed. Xero was covering Axel's body…but when he looked, Axel was cut in half. There was no blood, for he was a being that wasn't supposed to exist, but Xero couldn't let Axel die.

Rashreum and his team were hit straight on by the blast. Luckily he fused the last remaining bit of his energy with Alyssa's Glacier protection. The frozen Reflega dissipated, but everyone was safe. "We've got to find a way to beat that 'un." Rashreum said. "I have nothing to shoot with. Anyone got an ether?" Alyssa handed him the little square, which he ate. "I can't think of any way to even weaken that thing." Alyssa said. Sonjax raised his head, grinning. "I have an idea, but it'll be risky…and it'll drain out all of your power, Lexchaim. How long do you think you can hold that thing with your Dark possession?"

"Forty five seconds…tops." Lexchaim sheathed his sword. "Is that long enough?" He asked. Sonjax smiled. "I'll only need a second. But I'll need Alyssa's rain ability, and Redwon's ability to use Graviga." He told everyone his insane plan. Perhaps he lost his sanity by electrocuting himself one too many times, but his genius came with his insanity. And with that, everyone was ready. Lexchaim jumped up on top of the shack. "Darkness!" He shouted, his shadow pulling on all four limbs of the creature. "Rain!" Shouted Alyssa. Redwon cast Graviga on the ground below them, making rubble to block out the rain above his team. Sonjax stepped forward, raising his hand into the air. Lightning struck his hand, and his keyblade, the lightning phoenix appeared. His keyblade was made up of pure lightning, and he learned one thing, which is the moral of our story: Don't get it wet.

He thrusted his keyblade into the rain, a lightning bolt shooting out of the tip. Each droplet of rain was electrocuted with a hundred thousand volts of electricity. The drops chained each other, and every where the rain hit was electrocuted. The creatures steel armor fell off, revealing the leathery coat beneath. A nobody's skin. His ultimate defense had melted away. "That-s-s-s-s-should do the t-t-t-trick!" Sonjax said, his hair spiking up. "He's v-vulnerable!" Sonjax was paralyzed, though it was something he was used to. Alyssa jumped up into the air, only to be whacked away by a flaming wing. "Gah!" She crashed into the glassy sand, falling unconscious. Rashreum restored all his magic. "Alright, reload!" He said, his hand glowing. His gun morphed from a turret into a sniper rifle. "Here it comes, mate!" He shouted, aiming down his sight.

The large burst of energy nailed the hybrid in the eye, knocking the eye. The dragon was blind. Redwon used his gravity gauntlets to form stone, which he melted into mud. He had control over the rock element, and gravity. He pulled up obsidian from the deepest points of the earth, and formed an obsidian sword. The blade was sharper than a scalpel, and Redwon's signature weapon. "Alright, now we're in business." He jumped up, slashing down with his sword, cutting into the creature. The creature merely staggered back. It opened its mouth, absorbing more energy. Then it fired the cannon again, obliterating the sword, and the ground. There was a flash, and Redwon's consciousness faded. His gauntlets disappeared. Lexchaim stood up, his energy fully restored. "Alright, let's try this out." He lifted his arm into the air. "Darkness!" The dark matter in the air flowed into his hand, and a completely black claw formed on his hand. He slashed at the creature's feet. He ran up its leg and flipped off, "Dark Firaga!" The black flame erupted from his hand.

The creature, absorbing the nothingness he fired, had regained its sight. It flew into the air, crashing down on its enemies. That was when it was struck by lightning. Sonjax's keyblade was sticking out of the ground. Lightning phoenix had summoned a bolt of pure lightning. The dragon was down. "Curaga!" Shouted the king, reviving the members of his team. "I…HAVE SLAYN…THEDRAGON!" Shouted Sonjax. Alyssa slowly stood up, her head bleeding slightly. Redwon's gauntlets would need heavy repairs. Mickey smiled kindly at Lexchaim, who looked like his mentor, Riku. Lexchaim just stared. "What happened?" Redwon asked. Sonjax shrugged. "Your molecules got all broken." Everyone embraced each other. They were a family. Most of them had tragic stories…and each of them had something in common. Sonjax's world was devoured by darkness. His parents were devoured as well. Rashreum's identity was stolen from him. He was dueled by his own brother, and lost. He eventually got revenge, and defeated his brother. Unfortunately his brother fell to his own death. Then his world was devoured by darkness. Lexchaim had embraced the darkness, allowing himself to be consumed. Even now, his darkness wasn't defeated. Alyssa's brother died from a disease called geostigma. The stigma was caused by a heartless, and her world was destroyed. Redwon was an underground miner. Enough said. Alyssa smiled, looking at the ocean. The place was in pieces.

The entire island was split into three parts now. As everyone started to walk away, they heard a sound. A whirlwind of darkness was surrounding the spot, and a sphere formed around them. In the center of the sphere, was a man. He was in a kneeling position, holding a pure white sword that was stuck in the ground. He had black wings and grey armor. _"I…must…ESCAPE!" _Shouted the man. He had a dragon crest helmet, and the first thing he did, was go after Redwon. Sonjax jumped in the way of the onslaught, taking a heavy slash to the throat. Sonjax was extremely lucky because the blade had become blunt over the years of wear. Redwon turned around, shocked. "You hurt my friend!" He rushed him, summoning his real weapon, the mechanism keyblade. His keyblade blocked the next three slashes. He slashed _upward, side, backhand, and thrust. Thrust, thrust, thrust, thrust, and slash. _The knight blocked every attack, and ended with his own thrust. The sword cracked one of Redwon's ribs, and sent him flying back into the wall. The man moved slowly. _"You…cannot…defeat…me...Xe…hano…rt…"_

Xero looked at Axel, and instantly felt bad. It was his fault for being weak, and Xero couldn't help. Xero felt a hand on his shoulder. He summoned his keyblades and slashed behind him. "DIE!" He shouted, tears falling down his face. He nearly slashed Roxas in the face. "Whoa! Xero, don't slash me!" He shouted. "Roxas! I'm sorry…A-Axel's dying! Can you help him!" Xero asked. Roxas shook his head. "Not unless we go back. Let's go." Roxas picked up Axel's half a body. Xero stood his ground, still feeling destroyed that he lost…but something else spiked inside him. "No…" He said in a dual voice. "Our friends are getting hurt…I have to help!" Xero said, going back to his regular voice. Roxas turned around. "No! You're not strong enough to take that dragon on." Xero didn't wait for an answer; he was already running towards the dark sphere. As he passed through, his coat disintegrated. Underneath was a black, sleeveless shirt. He had black pants, and gloves like Sora's. He saw Redwon and Sonjax down, along with the knight with the blunt sword. Xero felt instant familiarity. _"Listen here Xero…" _said a voice in his head. "Wha!" shouted Xero. He looked all around, and couldn't find the source. _"Xero, just relax. I need you to beat some sense into him." _said the voice. Xero simply nodded. He summoned his keyblade and rushed towards Rashreum and Lexchaim. "Lexchaim! Rashreum! Alyssa! Your majesty!" Xero shouted. Lexchaim turned around. "Xero? How's Axel? Is he okay?" Xero nodded. "He'll be fine." Xero looked at the king, who was staring at the man. "Your majesty?" Xero asked. King Mickey just turned around. "I know that man. He's a good person…but he's out of control! Xero, you have to stop him!" Xero nodded. "Lexchaim, Rashreum, let's go!" They nodded. Xero summoned his two keyblades. He held Oathkeeper in a reverse style. "Alright, reload!" shouted Rashreum. "Tsk, get ready mate!" he shouted, turning his arm turret into his ultimate weapon: the death laser. "Fire!" he shouted. He fired the laser.

The first shot missed. The second shot smashed into his sword, destroying it. The third and final shot blasted into the man's body. His armor was blasted off slightly. The wings dissipated, and under the shiny white armor was a golden reddish torso. The rest of the armor was still on. Xero rushed him, "Light!" He said, flipping off the stunned man. He brought down his keyblade on the man's helmet. The man's helmet cracked a bit. He grabbed Xero's arm and tossed him at the wall. Xero kicked off of the wall, and used a technique he didn't even know he knew. "Zero gravity!" he shouted. The man guarded, but objects around him floated. Lexchaim followed close behind. "Darkness!" He shouted. An orb of dark matter appeared in his hand. "Dark spikes!" he shouted. The spikes fired from the orb, ramming themselves into the enemy's arms, knocking off the armor. Xero's slashed upward with Oathkeeper, knocking him into the air. The man fell to the ground. The man summoned his keyblade. The keyblade was familiar to Xero and Mickey. A keyblade that belonged to a young and powerful keybearer…_"Terra…"_ said the voice in Xero's head.

Xero walked slowly toward the man. "Terra!" Xero said in a voice not quite like his own. Terra smashed his keyblade down on the ground, causing a rock wave. Xero was launched backwards. "T-terra! Stop!" he shouted. Xero jumped into the air. "It's me-" He was caught up by another rock slide. His clothes were tattered and he was hurting all over. Lexchaim had seen enough. "Shadow puppetry, rank X: Possession." He said, lurching Terra's own shadow to wrap him in a cocoon. "Xero, I'll stall him. It's time for you to use it." He said. Xero understood. He had to be sure he had the physical and mental capability to use this next technique. Lexchaim rushed Terra as he broke free of the cocoon. Terra grabbed Lexchaim, and slammed him into the ground. Terra started to glow a black aura. His command style, Sonic shadow was activated. He used his keyblade to slash at Lexchaim, turning it into a whip. Lexchaim was knocked back. He turned his sword around and pivoted on his foot. He thrusted at Terra, which he blocked. Terra turned his keyblade into the powerful Ultima Cannon. He fired it at Lexchaim, who was blown away. "W-was that…enough…time?" He managed to say. Xero nodded, his hands glowing a black and white aura. "Yes." He said. His hands came together, forming Two-Across. His keyblade was in his hand. His left arm was blazing with a dark aura, and his right was blazing with light.

"Terra…I must defeat you…please forgive me!" He rushed him, smashing his keyblade into the white armor, blasting it all away. The familiar armor was underneath. Xero slashed again, cracking the chest plate. He continued to wail on it until it shattered. The torso underneath was visible. Terra fired the Ultima cannon at him again, knocking Xero back. Xero ran forward yet again. "TERRAAAA!" he shouted. He threw his keyblade into the air, and almost at the speed of wind, grabbed it and brought it down on Terra's skull. The armor shattered, and Terra was released from its grasp. Terra sat up groggily…"W-who?" He asked weakly. Xero rushed over to him. "Terra…" He said in an awkward voice…"It's me-"

"I-I know who you are…" he said, voice cracking. "…but…if you find her…tell her I wish it could be just like it used to…with you…me…and….her…" Xero began crying after this statement. "You were a great friend to me…you know that…I'm…going to miss you…" Orbs of light flew away from his body, and as they flew into the sky, he mouthed three words; words that Xero would never forget.

_To be continued…._


	6. Chapter V: Memories

Chapter 5: Memories

The flight home was lifeless. No one knew quite what to say, probably because they were carrying the keyblade of a legendary warrior. King Mickey had called it _Ends of the Earth. _"Terra," Mickey explained, "was an apprentice keybearer who had fought the dark keyblade wielder Xehanort. Xehanort sensed the darkness in Terra's heart, and attempted to take over his body. Terra lost. Xehanort had taken his body, but Terra's sheer willpower was able to defeat him." Mickey's eyes looked sad, and everyone could feel him mourning. "While Terra beat Xehanort, he was not able to take back his body. Xehanort became the enemy most of you know as Xemnas." Roxas, who had returned after taking Axel back to HQ, lost his balance at this statement.

"Terra became the leader of Organization XIII!" Roxas exclaimed. He himself never liked Xemnas, and rather hated him for capturing Namine. So many things raced through Roxas' mind. He thought of everything Xemnas put him through, and clenched his teeth.

Mickey simply nodded. "Yes. Terra's spirit still lingered on through his armor. He had fought Sora before, but must have been possessed by some force. Terra's spirit is now free though."

Xero, who had remained silent this whole time, looked up from the floor. He didn't even remember what happened. The last thing he remembered was crushing Terra's helmet, then suddenly hearing Terra's last words. _'Why did he call me…?' _He was cut off by Rashreum. "We're home mates!" He exclaimed. Rashreum was sitting next to Alyssa's unconscious body. Man she was cute, he thought. He was in love with her, and had been ever since he had seen her. That weapon was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He could almost kiss it.

Redwon was embarrassed that he was knocked out so easily. No one had ever beaten him so fast, and he wanted to kill Terra again. So what if he was a legendary warrior? He'd like to see him working under the Mines of Refactnim. He wanted revenge, and hoped he would get it. He had checked his keyblade for damage and, of course, there was a large crack in it. The keyblade was given to him by his friend. It wasn't an actual keyblade, but it had the same qualities. Unfortunately, it could break, get lost, get stolen, and rust. "I need to get a new weapon…my gloves suck, and the keyblade isn't a very good weapon." Redwon said, to no one in particular.

Sonjax smiled. "You're not one of the chosen ones, but you still fight like a keybearer. You just need to find a weapon that suits you." Sonjax's keyblade appeared in front of him. "My keyblade has no definite shape," he said, "but I prefer a sword shaped keyblade." He demonstrated this by turning it into a curved weapon. The keyblade could extend to great lengths, and change shape, but most of the time it stayed in a straight blade of lightning.

Redwon was about to bark at him, but was interrupted by the abrupt landing. Redwon and Xero, whose seatbelts were not fastened, had flown out of their seats. Redwon hit his head on the ceiling, and Xero smashed his elbow into Roxas' ribs. Roxas immediately brought his hands to his chest and doubled over in his seat. "W-watch it!" Roxas shouted. Xero jumped off the seat. "S-sorry Roxas!" said Xero. The King had walked outside already. There was obviously a lot on his mind. "What the…" Sonjax stared at Redwon. "…flip?" Sonjax nodded in approval.

Xero longed to see how Axel was doing, but he also had to see to his other friends. Several, _'memories' _had flashed through his mind. There was a girl in an organization cloak, another girl clad in armor, and a bald old dude wielding a keyblade. It wasn't like any keyblade he had seen before. It was dark, and seemed to have its own Dark Soul. He certainly had questions to ask Will. Will was one of Xero's friends and the two had been comrades from the start. Will was also the one who made Redwon's keyblade. As a true tech Genius, he was able to create almost any kind of weapon.

Xero walked off the ship and down the deep long corridors of Hollow Bastion. Across from the briefing room was the technological lab, where Will sleeps. That's when he heard someone. "We have to kill those nobodies!" quacked a voice. "But, what about all those people with the fancy swords? Ahyuck." responded another. Xero walked towards them, knowing that they were enemies of the organization. He summoned his keyblade, Oblivion, and jumped out of the corner. One of them was tall, and had a shield in his hand. The other was a…duck? He held a wand in his hand. "Waa! W-wait! We're-"Xero didn't give them a chance to respond. He slashed at the wand, which was blocked by the tall ones shield. "Wait! Give Donald a-"Xero pivoted on his foot and knocked the tall one back.

Donald started to get angry. "SUPER THUNDAGA!" He shouted, raining lightning on Xero. Unfortunately for Donald, Xero was quicker than him. "Reflega!" The lightning bounced off of the force field and hit Donald square in the chest. "Graaarraahhh!" he shouted. Will jumped out of the room. "Wait! Xero! They're friends!" he shouted. Xero looked flabbergasted. "W-what?" Will sighed. "Xero I'd like you to meet Donald, and Goofy. They were Sora's traveling companions. They're here with Queen Minnie." Xero's eyes widened.

Goofy was chuckling up a storm. Donald's eyebrow was twitching, and the next thing Xero knew, he was frozen like a Popsicle. Donald had cast a Blizzaga on him. Will sighed. "Sorry Xero, but you did deserve that one." said Will. "Um, Donald, would you mind unfreezing him?"

"With pleasure!" he shouted. "Firaga!" he had cast the full powered fire technique with ease. He was obviously extremely talented in the magical arts, or so most people would think. What Xero was thinking, however, was this: _'HOT!' _Xero was unfrozen, but now his coat was burnt to a crisp. "I'll get you for that!" he shouted. He started chasing the duo around the room. Will couldn't help but laugh.

The door from the briefing room opened, and Sora stepped out. His eyes widened at the sight of his two friends. "Donald! Goofy!" he shouted. He smiled as the three of them began jumping in a circle. Xero felt awkward watching this. "Um, s-sorry a-about attacking you and all…" Xero said, feeling his face turn red. Donald and Goofy turned around. "Ahyuck! It's alright!" said Goofy. Donald was obviously still mad. "Don't do it again!" he said in a stern voice.

Xero scratched the back of his head. "S-sorry again." Will punched Xero in the side of the head. Xero's left eye was half closed, his mouth was open but his teeth were clenched, and his ears started to twitch. Put this all together and you get one funny face. Everyone started to laugh, including Xero. "Um, it's really nice to meet you guys!" he said to Donald and Goofy. Donald and Goofy smiled, and then turned back to talking to their closest friend. Xero sighed. He had never felt like he belonged here, and now it felt even worse. The emotion was soon forgotten when Lexchaim put his hand on Xero's shoulder. "You're you. Don't forget that." He continued to walk down the hall, disappearing halfway down the dark corridor. Fifteen walked out of the briefing room. Fifteen's hood, as usual, was up, hiding his mysterious appearance. He was obviously angry. He gestured for Xero to walk inside.

Xero hesitated. Fifteen gave him the creeps. He had no idea who, or what could be hidden under that hood. Eventually Xero walked in. He wasn't about to disobey his leader. The Briefing room was huge. In the middle was a round table that could easily fit twenty. Roxas, Rashreum, and the rest of Team IV (excluding Mickey) were sitting at the table. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!" shouted Fifteen. "It…was a simple…elimination mission…Where Will, who is the best at Intel, had seen that it was nothing more than a Darkside. So I ask you again. What happened!" he said, a little less loudly. Xero sighed. They told them the story, excluding a few details.

"I see. Alright, well good job. You all did well, though I have some bad news. I'm sending you on another mission." He said. "Not all of you, just four of you." he said. He passed a briefing to Lexchaim. "…Me, Will, Alyssa, and Xero. But there's another name on this? It's…" Fifteen nodded. "Demyx is missing. That's part of your mission. Find Demyx and gather Intel…We need to know if that place is still up and running." Lexchaim nodded. "The mission will begin in five days. Until then, just relax. Dismissed." he said. Xero walked back into the hallway, bumping into Roxas on the way. "Xero? You have to stop bumping into me…" he sighed. Xero nodded. "H-how's Axel?" he asked.

Roxas smirked. "Oh, he'll be alright! Don't worry about him. Her Majesty said that he'd be up and about in a few weeks." Xero looked down, obviously saddened by his mentor's condition. "Alright. Thanks Roxas." he said. Xero started down the hall again, passing his room. It was time for him to meet up with Kairi and Namine. _'Why do I have to go with them again?' _Xero recalled what had happened. Roxas and Sora, being really busy with the organization, told him to protect them whenever they left the base. He wasn't all that disappointed. It was a way to get his mind off of things.

He eventually came up to a large white door. He hated going through it. Whenever he used it, the guardian would attack him, making him feel even worse. He grabbed the handle and pulled. The black cages inside were filled with enemies, and all the way at the end was Riku's guardian. After releasing his darkness, he had found that the Guardian was attached to him. The Guardian was sworn to protect Ansem, and since Riku was Ansem, the Guardian followed him around.

Xero ran straight into the corridor of darkness, dodging a Dark Firaga from the guardian. "Didn't get me this time Guardian!" he shouted, falling into Twilight Town…Unfortunately, the portal opened on top of the clock tower…and he fell right off. "Not agaaaaaaaaain!" he shouted into the sky. Luckily, he was saved by a barrier of light. _'But who could-' _Kairi's keyblade was aimed at him, a beam of light protruding from the blade. "You okay Xero?" she had asked, hiding a giggle. "Kairi? When did you learn that?" he asked, just as the barrier shattered. He landed on his feet.

"Her Majesty, Queen Minnie, has been teaching me. And Namine has been helping me with focusing my magic!" Namine just shrugged and put her hands behind her back. "I thought I might be of help…" she said meekly. Xero nodded. "So where are we going?" he asked, hoping it wasn't shopping. Kairi simply smiled. "You'll find out!" she exclaimed. They started walking, and Xero couldn't help but remember something. An experience he never had.

"_Y-you…had enough!" asked the red haired boy. "Because, I'm willing to call it a draw if you are!" he added. The boy had obviously lost. "Huh? Heh heh…right." The blonde responded. A blue haired boy approached them. "From where I stood the only thing you drew was a big 'L' on your head for loser, lame, laughable." He had said. "Wha!" exclaimed the red haired boy. "Isn't this the part where you…cheer me up or something? 'You're just having a bad day' or 'That's what you get for pulling your punches.' Ah, some friend…"_

_The blue haired boy sighed. "Oh, so I was supposed to lie." The red haired boy had laid down. "You see with what I've gotta put up with? Sure hope you don't have friends like him." The blonde laughed, while the other two chimed in with him. The blue haired boy had snapped back to reality. "Lea! We have to go." Lea nodded. _

_The blonde seemed surprised. "Already!" he exclaimed. Lea smiled. "I'll see ya when I see ya. After all, we're friends now. Get it memorized!" The blonde smiled. "Okay, Lea." Lea walked towards the blue haired boy. "What's with it and you picking up stray puppies?" The blue haired boy had asked. Lea smirked. "I want everyone I meet to remember me. Inside people's memories, I can live forever!" The blue haired boy smiled. "I know I'll never forget you. Believe me, I try all the time." Lea smiled. "See? I'm immortal!" Isa, who Xero seemed to recall his name, smiled. "You're obnoxious."_

Xero snapped back into present day. "What?" Xero asked. Namine smiled. "Did you doze off?" she asked. Immediately before Xero was going to respond, he had disappeared, standing on what seemed to be a tower. Below him were his brothers, Roxas and Sora standing side by side...Sora told him about this. It was called a Dive to the Heart.

_To be continued…_

_OOC:_

_I just edited this chapter a bit, for I feel that by incorporating Neku would have been a bad idea for my writing. I deeply apologize.  
_


	7. Chapter VI: Dive to the Heart

Chapter 6: Dive to the Heart

Xero looked down, looking at the glass like floor that depicted Roxas and Sora, asleep in his Dive to the Heart. '_But why am I here?'_ he thought to himself, worried about Kairi and Namine. Xero sighed as he heard a voice inside his mind while a white door appeared in front of him.

**Don't be afraid. Walk forward, and don't look back.**

Xero heard the voice echo in his mind, though he wasn't sure if the voice was male or female. Xero sighed, not wanting to listen to a mysterious voice from the beyond, but he ignored his common sense and stepped forward. Once he gripped the handle, more flashbacks appeared in his mind. The face of a blue-haired girl, a wasteland filled with keyblades, and a battle inside another Dive to the Heart. Xero winced in pain, gripping his head and closing his eyes. He ripped the door open and the pain subsided.

Heartless filled the next platform, though there was no bridge to get to the one after. A Neo-Shadow lunged at him, but Xero was quicker. He rolled to the right, summoning his keyblade and slashing horizontally, knocking the heartless back. A regular shadow jumped at Xero as well, but it was immediately cut in half by Oathkeeper. The Heartless stepped back, almost as if they were afraid of him. They scurried away, disappearing in a burst of darkness. Xero was confused since he had never seen heartless run away before.

Xero wasn't one to complain though. He walked to the edge of the platform he was standing on and watched a bridge to the next platform appear. He ran up to the next tower, the floor different from the ones before. It looked like Sora with black hair on one side and someone that looked  
_a lot_ like Roxas on the other side. They were holding different keyblades, which Xero took due note of.

**An entity of pure light that fought an entity of pure darkness…neither one was the victor and neither fully vanished…**

Xero did a complete 180 turn, seeing a person in a black Organization coat. Xero's keyblade disappeared and reappeared in that person's hand. "Hey! That's mine!" Xero shouted, Oblivion appearing in his hand. The stranger got into a fighting stance, holding the keyblade with two hands. Xero also got into a fighting stance, twirling it around. The two keyblade wielders charged, and as they were about to clash the stranger disappeared.

**Not yet...Keyblade wielder…**

Xero turned around, frustrated. "I'd like my keyblade back!" he shouted, holding Oblivion in the sky. Another white door then appeared in front of him. He walked closer once more, grabbing the door and experiencing another flashback.

_Xero was walking slowly, holding his head with his hand. "Who are you…again?" he asked in a familiar voice that wasn't his. He realized that he was looking through the eyes of Roxas. "It's weird…I feel like I'm forgetting something really important." Roxas added, walking closer to a black haired girl. The girl smiled sadly, looking at the ground. She looked like she had just been in a fight to the death._

"_You'll be…better off now…Roxas." She said in a sad little voice. She began to fall over, though Roxas was able to catch her. "Am I…the one who did this to you?" Roxas asked, looking down at this black haired girl. The girl shook her head. "No...It was my choice…to go away now." She said, looking into Roxas' eyes. "Better that, than to do nothing…and let Xemnas have his way." The girl began to look to the sky. "I belong with _. And now, I am going back…to be with him." The girl put her hand on Roxas'. "Roxas…I need you…to do me a favor." She said, looking back into Roxas' eyes. "All those hearts I've captured…Kingdom Hearts…Set them free."_

_Roxas looked down at the girl, listening intensely to what she was saying. "Kingdom Hearts…Free them?" he asked her. The girl's legs began to crystalize, almost like ice. "It's too late…" she said. "…for me to undo my mistakes. But you can't let Xemnas…have Kingdom Hearts. You can't." she added. The girl then smiled. "Good-bye, Roxas. See you again. I'm glad…I got to meet you. Oh…and of course, Axel, too." She raised her hand to touch Roxas' face. "You're both my best friends. Never forget…that's the truth."_

_Roxas' eyes opened n recognition. "No…_..." the word was mute. "Who else will I have ice cream with?" The girl completely crystalized and faded from existence. Xero felt a tear roll down Roxas' cheek…and his own cheek as the flashback ended._

Xero looked to the floor and wiped the tear from his eyes. "Why is this…happening to me?" he asked himself. The door wouldn't open, so Xero jumped back and unlocked it with his keyblade. When the door opened, Xero was standing in the middle of Destiny Islands. To his right was Sora. Next to Sora was Roxas, and to Roxas' left was another kid that looked like him. Right in front of Xero was the person in the Organization coat.

The one who looked like Roxas walked up to Xero. "Hello Xero!" he said, smirking. Xero didn't respond, taking a step back. The kid laughed. "Don't be scared. My name's Ventus, but you can call me Ven." said Ven in a voice that sounded like Roxas'. "Ven…that's what Terra called me earlier!" Xero exclaimed, remembering Terra's last words. _'Goodbye…Ven.'_ Xero remembered.

Ven nodded. "When Roxas returned to Sora, my heart was transferred to you. The thing is, I just woke up and I don't have a body to return to." he said, looking at Xero's sky blue eyes. "There are many things we need to talk about, but the time isn't right. I will say one thing though…if you're willing to hear."

Xero nodded, looking at the person in the Organization coat. The person was shorter than Xero, which was odd because Xero was as short as Roxas and Sora. "Alright…I'll listen." He said. Ven smiled. "Okay then. You have to stop trying to be like Roxas and Sora…that is if you want to keep your existence."

Xero's eyes widened. "What do you mean!?" he exclaimed. Xero had always strived to be like his brothers, mostly because they represented what he wanted to be. Strong…kind…brave…Ven shook his head. "There's a time and a place, which is not now nor here." He said, summoning a keyblade. He held it reverse style. He waved his hand slowly as Sora and Roxas disappeared. "Go further into your heart Xero. And don't be afraid." He added. "Oh, uh, thank you…for freeing Terra." Xero just smiled, though he still wasn't sure about what Ven had said. "It was no problem." He replied.

"Remember, I'll always be in your heart if you need me." Ven said before disappearing. The only ones left in this area were the stranger and Xero. Xero glared at the one in the coat. "So what do you want from me?" he asked darkly. The figure just pointed while Xero followed where he was pointing. Another door…just what he _wanted_. Xero sighed and walked towards the door, putting his hand on the handle again…but this time there were no flashbacks…Only a vision.

_A man was holding a large sword. The handle looked like it was two keyblades crossed together. Xero couldn't see his face, but he could tell that he had long brown hair. Xero couldn't see his face because he was looking at him from behind. The man looked over the world he was on, a wasteland of keyblades…Kingdom Hearts hovering above him. "Kingdom Hearts!" He shouted in a young voice. "Fill me with the power of Darkness!" he exclaimed. A bright light ended the vision._

Xero shook off the vision and opened the door again. There was a much taller person in an Organization coat there now. He simply stood there. The stranger from earlier was standing next to the man.

**Prove your Strength…Keyblade wielder.**

Xero watched the stranger disappear into a corridor of darkness. The man waved his hand as six small tornadoes surrounded him…they then turned into Lances. The man still had his hood up, and faint numbers could be seen flickering around him. _'A data battle?'_ Xero thought, remembering that Sora had encountered data battles in The World That Never Was. The man swung his lances after creating a barrier of wind around him. He slashed three times with each lance, which Xero couldn't block. He was launched backwards by the onslaught, but he was alright to continue.

Xero wanted to summon Oathkeeper to even the playing field, but the keyblade would not appear. He decided to counter attack, dodging a thrown lance and going in for a slash with Oblivion. The man simply deflected the attack with his barrier of wind. The lance that he had thrown reappeared back in his hand as he used it to stab at Xero once more. Xero parried with his keyblade and jumped backwards.

He slashed once more with Oblivion as he ran into the man again. The man blocked, and sent Oblivion flying over the tower. The keyblade fell into the depths of Xero's heart. Left without a keyblade and a lance being held to his throat, Xero didn't know what to do. '_There has to be…something I can do!'_ he thought, holding his hand out as the man slashed with his lance.

Xero winced, but had heard a voice in his head. _'Don't give up!'_ it said. A flash of light appeared in Xero's hand, and all of a sudden he was blocking the lance with a new keyblade. Xero instinctively knew its name was Lost Memory. _'You can borrow this for now, Xero. Now, good luck!'_ The voice died out and Xero began to glow a slight green color. "Fever Pitch!" Xero exclaimed, jumping into the air.

Xero slashed four times, and then spun around with his keyblade, slashing at the Man. The man's barrier was ruined, but he wasn't done. He slashed with his lances, but Xero was faster. The glow died out, but Xero now had access to the Command Styles while in his Dive to the Heart. He entered into a blue glow after his last attack. "Cyclone!" he exclaimed, slashing in a series of spins, light circling around him.

He managed to destroy two of the Man's lances, making the man angry. The man slashed with his lances, hitting Xero square in the chest, leg, and arms. He then connected his reformed lances which turned into a Dragon. The dragon flew into Xero, and then began to fire streams of wind at him. Xero couldn't block, but he wasn't down yet. The dragon fired another stream of wind, which Xero cut straight through, entering a final command style. "WING BLADE!" he shouted, wings of blades appearing on his back.

He cut through the stream and flew up towards the dragon. He fired one of his sword wings, knocking the dragon back. Xero then slashed with all his blades together, staggering the dragon back. He slashed once more as his command style disappeared. The dragon dispersed, but the Man was still intact. The man summoned his lances as Xero landed on the ground again.

And that was when the man began his onslaught again, but Xero had studied his fight style. He dodged the first 9 slashes, then blocked the tenth, interrupting the combo. "And it's done!" Xero exclaimed, smiling and driving his keyblade through the man. In a flash of light, the man disappeared in a bunch of numbers. Xero stood up straight as his keyblade disappeared.

"Thanks…Ven." He said, looking at his hand and seeing another door appear before him. Xero walked up to it and stopped.

**This is the final door Xero…are you sure you're ready?**

Xero put his hand on the handle, not getting a flashback or a vision.He closed his eyes, getting ready to open the door. "Alright…I'm ready." He said, opening the door and walking through. It was a final tower, though Xero couldn't quite make out who was on the floor. The face was whited out.

The stranger that had been periodically checking on Xero was standing there, holding Oathkeeper. The stranger had his back to Xero, looking over the tower. Xero didn't know what the stranger was looking at since there was only nothingness around them. "So…are you going to tell me what you want or not!?" Xero shouted, calling Lost Memory to his hand again.

**Xero…forgive me for invading your heart…but I wanted to see if you were ready for the oncoming storm…My final test Xero. Fight me.**

Xero watched as his opponent rushed him. Xero dived to the side, swinging Lost Memory reverse style. The stranger blocked with Oathkeeper. The stranger then grabbed Xero's arm, pulling him in and knocking him off balance. The stranger immediately followed up with a slash, sending Xero to the other side of the tower.

**You're different Xero. A being that wasn't supposed to exist, yet has more of an existence than anyone.**

Xero swung his keyblade in mid-air. "What's that supposed to mean!?" he shouted, running at the enemy. The stranger ran at Xero as well and the two clashed keyblades once again. This stranger was agile, ducking beneath Xero's keyblade and attacking his exposed back. Xero fell to the floor, but quickly recovered. The truth was, Xero didn't know how to use a reverse style keyblade too well. He sighed, letting the keyblade disappear…"Please come…!" He exclaimed, calling Oblivion to his hand. It appeared in a burst of darkness.

**Oblivion, Keyblade of Darkness, only rivaled by its Sister Key: Oathkeeper, the Keyblade of Light. **

Xero swung his keyblade and began running at the stranger once more. The two clashed again, but this time Xero acted first. He put his hand on the stranger's small shoulders and flipped over his back. He slashed with Oblivion, landing his first hit on the stranger. The stranger staggered slightly, but rolled into the attack and quickly recovering. The stranger stood up straight, throwing Oathkeeper at Xero, the keyblade spinning like a cyclone.

Xero threw Oblivion at the stranger at the same time, catching Oathkeeper and charging at the stranger. The stranger caught Oblivion and clashed with Xero's Oathkeeper. The sound of clashing metal could be heard distinctly with that latest clash of weapons. Xero felt more comfortable with Oathkeeper anyway. Then, as if dancing, the stranger sidestepped away from Xero, attacking his side. Xero blocked with Oathkeeper, flipping over the keyblade that the Stranger was using.

Xero hit the stranger with the hilt of his keyblade, launching him into the air. The stranger simply hovered over the tower that they were fighting on. Oblivion began to glow white as the stranger descended back onto the tower. The stranger slashed with a ferocious combo that staggered Xero off his feet. Xero was able to block the attacks, but then the Stranger brought down four pillars of light, launching them at Xero.

Xero went flying off of the tower, holding onto the edge and his keyblade at the same time. He was beginning to lose his grip and his opponent walked to the edge. The stranger held Oblivion to Xero's chin.

**Yield.**

Xero threw Oathkeeper off the edge and grabbed Oblivion, pulling the stranger down with him into the pit. They fell into the depths below, struggling and fighting. Xero summoned Oathkeeper back to his hand as they clashed in mid-air. The Stranger was putting up quite a fight, but Xero was better at fighting in mid-air. They were spinning around, clashing many times in mid-air.

The stranger launched magic with his bare hand, sending a ball of fire at Xero, who blocked with his keyblade. The stranger dashed at him in the air, hitting Xero further into the depths. Xero threw Oathkeeper, only to have it countered with Oblivion, knocking it into the depths. Xero couldn't summon back to his hand, so Lost Memory appeared again.

Xero could see light from the depths, deducing that the ground was approaching. _'That's going to hurt…'_ he thought, twirling his keyblade. The stranger fired a larger fireball at Xero, who used reflect. The stranger dodged the reflected fireball and flew at Xero again. Once they were both in melee range, Xero entered his command style again.

"Wing Blade!" Xero shouted, wings of blades appearing on his back again. He spun the blades around him in a circle, slashing the stranger away. Xero threw his sword into the air, slashing with one of the ones from his wings. The stranger staggered back, and Xero flew above him, bringing down rays of light with his wings. The command style timed out and Xero's keyblade returned.

The stranger was hurt, but not done with the fight. Grabbing Xero's keyblade, the stranger pulled him in, slashing with Oblivion and launching Xero up into the air. The ground was growing dangerously close. Xero breathed in, casting Aero and surrounding himself with a barrier of wind. The barrier was quickly dispatched by a combo from the Stranger's keyblade.

**It's over!**

Xero shook his head, dodging yet another slash from the stranger. He flipped over the stranger's second horizontal slash, now above him. "It's over!" He exclaimed, slashing vertically with his keyblade and launching the stranger down. The stranger crashed into the same tower that they were fighting on originally. Xero landed lightly on his back, dazed and groaning in pain. He used his keyblade to help himself up, and then walked over to the not moving body of his opponent.

The image below him became clear…and Xero was in shock. The person he was fighting stirred slightly, hood gone. And the face of his opponent was the same one as the stain glass tower they were fighting on. A name popped into Xero's mind as he stared upon the face of this black haired girl.

"Xion…"

_To be continued…._


End file.
